Taketomi village lanes and beaches
竹富島 集落と西海岸めぐり24°20′ N 124°05′ EEasy EasyCity bikeE-bikeloop
The Taketomi village lanes ride is a 4.3 km clockwise loop by our route data through the coral-sand lanes of Taketomi village and out to Kaiji, Kondoi and Nishi Pier, flat enough at 16 m of climbing for any rental bike and best ridden early before the day boats arrive.
KonbiniWaterTop of chart 50 m
Routed over OpenStreetMap with BRouter trekking, measured against AWS Terrarium z13 (2026-10-09). The waypoints run clockwise.
Taketomi is 10–15 minutes by boat from Ishigaki, and its village keeps red-tiled roofs behind coral-stone walls along lanes of white sand that the residents sweep each morning. Taketomi's community hall counted 1,139 rental bicycles on the island in 2019, so a bike is how almost everyone sees it.
The Taketomi Town Tourism Association times each leg at five to ten minutes by bike, and our route data makes the whole loop 4.3 km. We ride south out of the village to Kaiji, the star-sand beach, then north up the west-coast road to Kondoi and on to Nishi Pier, before cutting back east through the lanes past Nagomi-no-to.
The lanes fill with riders by late morning, when the day-trip boats are in. Catch an early boat and do the village first. Come back to Nishi Pier in the evening if you're staying the night, because the sun sets over Iriomote from the end of the jetty.
Worth knowing
- Choose a bike with wide tyres; the sand lanes are easier on a city bike than on anything narrow.
- Kanifu takes no cash, so carry a card or phone payment.
- Check the sunset time and be at Nishi Pier twenty minutes before it.
Ride safely
- Coral sand in the lanes can slide a front wheel in a turn; slow down at corners and walk the bike through deep patches.
- Give way to the water-buffalo carts in the village and keep the bell for emergencies; people live in these houses.
- Kaiji Beach has a strong current, and the Taketomi Town Tourism Association warns swimmers to take care.
Wind at Ishigakijima, JMA 1991–2020
Which way to ride, month by month風
Jan
NNE 5.3
As described
Feb
NNE 5.4
As described
Mar
NNE 5.2
As described
Apr
NNE 4.9
As described
May
S 4.5
Either way
Jun
S 5.3
Either way
Jul
SSW 5.9
Either way
Aug
S 5.6
Either way
Sep
NNE 5.3
As described
Oct
NNE 5.8
As described
Nov
NNE 5.5
As described
Dec
NNE 5.6
As described
Arrows point the way the wind blows. Speeds are monthly means in m/s. The wind on any given day can differ from the monthly pattern, so check the forecast.
Lunch, swims and sights
Stops along the way寄り道
Taketomi villagevillage
Red-tiled houses behind coral-stone walls along the sand lanes.
Kaiji Beachbeach
The star-sand beach; the current runs strong, so look and don't swim far.
Kondoi Beachbeach
Shallow white sand with a sandbar at low tide.
Nishi Pierview
The 1938 jetty where people watch the sun set over Iriomote.
Nagomi-no-toview
The old lookout tower in the middle of the village, closed to climbing since 2016.
Soba Dokoro Takenokolunch
Yaeyama soba since 1975, seasoned with the shop's kuchu spice.
Yarabolunch
Soba and set meals with bikes parked right outside.
Taketomi-jima Garden Asahilunch
Nankotsu soki soba on the road to Nishi Pier.
Shaved ice in the village.
Kanifulunch
Okinawan lunches daily; cashless only.
Every konbini, café and water stop OpenStreetMap lists along the line (1)
- Chirorin Muracafekm 0.7
Lunch, a swim and dinner
Ride days built on this route一日
Nearby rental
Rent a bike for itレンタル
Maruhachi Rental Cycle
Taketomi Village · Taketomi-jima
Operator
Minemoto Rental Cycle
Taketomi Village · Taketomi-jima
Operator
Tomori Kanko
Taketomi Village · Taketomi-jima
Operator
Nitta Kanko
Taketomi Village · Taketomi-jima
Operator
Taketomi Kanko Center
Taketomi Village · Taketomi-jima
Operator
FAQ
Quick answers about Taketomi village lanes and beachesよくある質問
How long does it take to cycle around Taketomi?
Our Taketomi loop through the village and out to Kaiji, Kondoi and Nishi Pier is 4.3 km by our route data, and the tourism association times each leg at five to ten minutes by bike. With beach stops it fills a relaxed morning.
Do you need an e-bike on Taketomi?
No. Taketomi is flat, with its highest ground at about 33 m, and our loop climbs 16 m. A city bike with wide tyres copes better with the coral sand than a narrow-tyred one.
Can you take your own bike to Taketomi?
Yes, on Anei Kanko boats. Anei carries non-electric bicycles on its high-speed boats for a fee and can refuse one when a boat is crowded, and Yaeyama Kanko Ferry takes a bike only packed in a rinko bag.
Book it
Line up the trip around Taketomi-jima
Some of these links pay us a commission. It costs you nothing and keeps the guide independent.